Pneumatic action for musical instruments



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NEMATIC AUTIN FR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY e. REICIIARDT, or ro'r'rsvILIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUMATlGACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent NO. 558,985, dated April 28, 1896.

Application filed May 2li 1895. Serial No. 550.076. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern:

13e it known that l, HENRY C. REICHARDT, a

i citizen of the United-States, residing at Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Actions forl Musical instruments, of which the follow-` ing is a full, clear, and exact description,ref

erence ,being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this-specification.

-. operating devices comprise a series of bellows which are connected with pipes, reeds, or other Sounders, a corresponding series of vvalve-chambers having communication with said bellows and with a commonA exhaustchest, and a corresponding series of snpplementary chambers provided with flexible ory `,yielding diaphragms upon whichrest the respective valve-stems, these latter chambers having communication with the exhaustchamber and with the tracker. Upon the latter runs the perforated sheet or strip that determuies the periodical ingress of the external atmosphere lo the diaphragm-chambers for the purpose of elccting' the vibration of the daphragms and the requisite action of the valves to makeand break the communication of the exhaustchamber with the bellows or sounding devices. l leretofore the valvechambers and the diaphragm-chambers have been integral with the exhaust-chest, and in order to secure access to the valve or the diaphragm oi' any ehamberit has been necessary to dismantle all the chambers. 'lhere has been no provision for readily attaching the diaphragms to or detaching them from'their respective chambers, and there has been no provision for adjusting the ports from the exhaust-chamber to the diaphragm-chambers for the purpose ot' regulating to a nieetv the action of the valves. i

l Xl'ith the view of. overcoming, among other things, the defects just stated my invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

ln the annexed drawings, Figure lis a sectional elevmion of a pneumatic valve-action embodying my invent-ion. l Fig. `f a sec-' tional plan of the exhaust and valve cham- -one of the yielding vaiveheads- A designates the longitudinally-disposed chest, from which the air is exhausted-in the usual manner, and B aseres of valve-chambers superimposed on the chest and connected therewith by a port b. These valve-chambers are constructed separately and indepei1dently of each other,and'they are detachably secured to the chest by means of vertical screws b', whereby they or any of them may be readily disconnected from theexhaustehest. The tops of the valve-chambers 'eomprise separate plates b2, whichare held in place by means of the screws Il', whereby access to any of the chambers may be rcadil v had for the purpose of adjusting the valveheads therein, as occasion may require. Each of the valvelchambers `communicates with a bellows C by means of a tubec, the bellows having' connected thereto a` r'od c', that controls music-pi pes, reeds, or other tone-producing devices. chambers, immediately above the port I), is an air-inlet port bi. In each of these ports is a centrally-disposed cross-piece b", to which is iitted a vertical valve-stem l), that extends into the exhaust-chest. (ln thisl stem, within the ,va'lve-chamber, are two valve-heads d .l, so disposed that'during the reeiproeation of the 'stem the respective ports I) and 1f are aliernately opened and closed. These heads are screwed to the stem, so that they may be nicely adjusted thereon in respect to the ports.

In order that the valves shall be closely seated against the opposed walls of the valvechambers, so as to insure a tight sealing of the respective ports, I construct the head in three parts, as follows: A centrally-perforated disk l, being the valve proper, through which the stem freely extends; a disk that is screwed on the stem, and an interposed disk 8, of soft yielding material, such as sheepskin,cemented tothe outer-disks. the head maybe minutely adjusted on the l'n the top plate oi" each of the Thus while IOO purpose stated.

The lower end of the valve-stem has secured thereto a head d?, that rests upon a thin yielding diaphragm E inthe bot-tom of the exhaustchest. Below this diaphragm is a chamber' c, which communicatesy by means of a' lateral vport e' with a duct leading to said chest and by means of a port e2 with the tracker F. This diaphragm-chamber I construct in the form of a fianged screw-threaded cylinder that fis screwed 'into the bottom of the exhaustchest, the diaphragm being detachably held on the inner or open end of the cylinder by means of an encircling band By this con- .struction the diaphragm-chamber may be the action of the valve, and thereby effect 4various modifications of expression or tone.

I elaim-- .-1. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the conibinatiomwith the exhaustchest, of a series of separate and independent valve -chambers detachably and separately connected with said chest and communicating therewith, valves in said chambers, and diaphragm-supports for said valves, the space or chamber below each diaphragm having communication with the exhaust-chest and with a suitable tracker, substantially as described.

'2. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the eombinatio11,with the exhaustchest, of a series of separate and independent valve-chambers detachably connected with said chest and communicating therewitlneach Aof said chambers having a detachable coverplate,valves in said chambers,and diaphragmsupports for said valves, the space or chamber below each diaphragm having communication with the exhaust-chest and with a suitable tracker, substantially as described.

3. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of the exhaustchest, the series of separate and independent valve-chambers detachably secured to the said chest and capable each of being removed without disturbing the other chambers of the series, the valves in the said chambers,- the diaphragms which support the said valves, and the separately attaehable and detachable diaphragrnchambers communicating with the exhaust-chest and with a suitable tracker, substantially as specified.

4. In a pneumatic action for musical instrumen ts, the combination with the exhaustchest, the series of valve-chambers connected to said chest and communicating therewith,

Valves in said chambers, diaphragm-supports for said Valves, the separately attuchable an d detachable diaphragm -chambers communieating with the exhaust-chest and with a suitable tracker, means for detachably securing the diaphragms to the walls of said chambers, and an adjustable screw valve for the exhaust-port of each of said dia1')hragm-chambers, substantially as specified.

5. In an instrument of the class recited, the valve and its supporting and operating parts, said valve comprising a screw-threaded stem, a perforated head loosely supported thereon, a tapped disk fitted to said stem, and an interposed fiexible connection for said head and disk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I haveherennto afd fixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY (i. REICHARDT.

Witnesses:

ANDREW V. GROUPE, JOHN R. NOLAN. 

